Busting the Spring-Cleaning Myth – Here’s the Unadulterated Truth

Most people live by the Spring-Cleaning rule. After the house has been closed up all winter long, the air gets to smell a little stale. (In some homes, more than just a little!) Your mother probably began getting anxious as the last of the snow began to melt away and looking for those warm days of spring where she could open the windows and air everything out.

Down came the curtains, off came the bedding and everything was laundered or dry cleaned while she put the gang to work scrubbing floors, walls and everything in between. Did you know that Spring-Cleaning is a myth? Actually, you should clean your home from top to bottom regularly, but at least four times a year at the beginning of each season. Here’s why.

Bedroom Dangers

While it is suggested that all bedding, including the spreads and comforters get laundered at least once every week or two, most families don’t change the sheets and pillow cases that regularly. Actually, doctors say that anything from dust mites to bedbugs can be the result of dirty linens and so you should be vigilant in keeping all those linens clean and fresh. Also, heat from the dryer will kill most bacteria and any lingering eggs or mites. Too much of a bother? Then hire the services of a good home cleaning company such as Diamond Cleaning. You will benefit in the long run rather than being out sick or spending money on doctors when you’ve been bitten by the bug! (Even some of the biggest luxury hotels have been infested by bed bugs, so keep that in mind!)

Contaminants on Surfaces

Then there is cross-contamination to worry about. While you may clean your counters and cutting boards after each use, do you really sanitize them? Do you use bleach or other spray chemicals to make sure you aren’t adding chicken blood on the cutting board to the fresh salad you are cutting while the chicken is cooking? Cross contaminants are the biggest source of foodborne illnesses, especially such things as gastrointestinal illnesses including severe diarrhea.

Airborne Pathogens

There are actually way too many airborne pathogens to list here but think about flu season where someone comes home coughing and sneezing. Before long, the entire family is in bed with influenza and it doesn’t mean you touched something the sick person touched! Flu is an airborne illness and so regular cleaning of HVAC and air filters is an absolute must! Spring cleaning isn’t going to help you in the middle of January!

Field Day for Pests!

Finally, all those crumbs and spilt glasses of milk can be a field day for pests. Most families simply sweep up quickly and maybe spot mop the floor, but that isn’t sufficient to keep rodents and other pests like ants and roaches at bay. Again, it pays to hire a home cleaning company to do a thorough job as often as possible. If you can’t swing it weekly, monthly would be good – but at the very minimum, at the start of each new season. Spring cleaning is definitely a myth and one which should have been busted years ago!